As we enter this last section in the book of Acts we will
begin to see some striking comparisons between the suffering of Jesus and the
suffering of the apostle Paul. We are reminded that the Christian walk is not a
walk free from suffering, but as we engage the Scriptures we are reminded that
‘through many tribulations we must enter
the kingdom of God’ (Acts 14:22).
In this chapter it is astonishing to witness that Paul is
dead set on going to Jerusalem. Even though people warn him and even try to
stop him, he is determined to go there “even to die in Jerusalem for the name
of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). This is a striking parallel to Jesus’ own
travels to Jerusalem that was led by the Spirit. He also knew that He would
suffer.
Paul arrives in Jerusalem and we are left to wonder, how
will the Jerusalem apostles receive him? Will they have the same animosity as
the Jews in the city?
Thankfully the answer is no. There is a clear unity between
Paul (representing Gentile Christians) and the Jerusalem brothers
(representing Jewish Christians), though some measures are taken to protect
Paul from the onset and pacify the Jewish conscience: he is to engage in a
Jewish purification observance. This ritual however did not end the way it was
expected. Near the end of the week long ritual, while Paul was in the temple
careful not to defile it, certain Jews saw Paul in the temple and caused no
small disturbance ironically lying that he had defiled it! In fact, after lying that Paul was speaking against
their law & their holy place AND that he had brought a gentile into the
temple’s inner court (which was a NO GENTILE zone punishable by death), they
dragged him, beat him and were ready to put him to death.
Thankfully, Roman soldiers came to the rescue. Did you catch
that? The pagan authorities came in the nick of time to save Paul from the
religious Jews. We see a stark contrast between Rome’s justice and Jewish
opposition.
The question is what can we take away from this chapter? Why
did Paul do this Jewish ritual? And how could he endure such opposition?
We know that Paul does not believe we need to do Jewish
ceremonial rituals for salvation, but we see him in great humility ‘becoming
all things to all people’ (1 Cor 9:22) for the purpose of spreading the gospel
of grace. In a sense he is exhibiting the truest freedom there is: a freedom
that is willing to give up freedoms
for the sake of others! He is truly led by love. In the ESV Transformation
Bible it says he “[allows] a remarkable space in the non-essentials for the sake
of the mission (without compromising the gospel or his identity in Christ). He also
encourages others to the flexibility in non-essentials for the sake of harmony
and humility in the church (see Romans 14)”.
Finally, he was able to endure because he had his eyes on
the unseen prize. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an
eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things
that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen
are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:17-18). He
was willing to suffer on earth temporarily; He had his eyes on the eternal
reward in heaven. In John Piper’s words, he was living by 'faith in future
grace'.
It is the trials in this life that prove the genuineness of
our faith (1 Peter 1:7) and will result in glory and praise when Jesus is
revealed. We have two options when hard
times come: to harden our hearts and lose faith (oh, how this is warned against
in the book of Hebrews!) or to cling all the more tightly to Jesus. Paul walks
a faith with his eyes on Jesus, his eternal prize. Those who cling to Jesus are
not only satisfied with joy and peace in their souls when hard times come, but
they also will be richly rewarded (see Hebrews 10:35-39).
Let us follow in Paul’s footsteps with our eyes on the
prize. We are reminded that ‘through many tribulations we must enter the
kingdom of God’ (Acts 14:22). May we cling to Jesus as we go through trials
knowing that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with
the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). May this realization bring
us great JOY as we put our hope not in this short life, but in the glorious
life to come.
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